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Kingfisher bottle and wine glass (Photo by Suvir Singh on Unsplash)

Heineken ups stake in United Breweries in India

India | As in the old adage “everything comes to him who waits”, Heineken, on 23 June 2021, bought 39.6 million shares in United Breweries (UBL), which pushed its holding to 61.5 percent from 46.5 percent previously.

Covid turned off beer taps in Spain: sales declined 12 percent in 2020

Spain | The covid pandemic triggered an historic drop in beer consumption, sales and production in Spain last year. The closure of bars and restaurants during the months of lockdown, and the restrictions on hotels and tourism have hit the beer industry hard. Consumption fell 12 percent to 36 million hl, a loss of 5 million hl over 2019, thus putting an end to seven consecutive years of growth.

Brewers sign new EU Code of Conduct on sustainable food systems

Europe | The Brewers of Europe, an industry body, has added its name to a new EU-wide pledge to support the shift towards sustainable food systems. By signing up, Europe’s brewers pledged to pursue and build upon their six-year long commitment to label ingredients and energy on beers across Europe.

Test-and-trace rules wreak havoc at English pubs and restaurants

United Kingdom | In recent weeks, pubs and restaurants across England have had to close at short notice, as staff are forced to self-isolate after being alerted by the NHS test and trace app over coming into contact with someone with covid.

Pub chain Fuller’s expects to benefit from weddings

United Kingdom | Even before the pandemic struck, the London pub company Fuller’s was a very different business from the one founded in 1845. In 2019, it had sold its beer operations, including the London brewery in Chiswick, to Japan’s brewer Asahi for GBP 250 million (USD 330 million). In those days, the pubs proved far more profitable.

Staff call on Wetherspoon to double bank holiday pay

United Kingdom | A number of JD Wetherspoon staff have joined a campaign calling for double pay for those working on bank holidays. By early July 2021, more than 50,000 people had signed the petition, which is open to customers, staff, and members of the public.

All that glitters is not gold: BrewDog’s “solid gold” can scandal

United Kingdom | BrewDog is making headlines again, but not as designed. A winner of one of BrewDog’s “solid gold” beer cans has asked the advertising watchdog to investigate its claim that the prize is worth GBP 15 000 (USD 20 700), the BBC reported on its website on 1 July 2021.

Czechs still thirsty for a beer

Czech Republic | As the pandemic hampered tourism and the lockdown hit draught beer sales hard, Plzeňský Prazdroj (Pilsner Urquell) saw its 2020 profit decline 20 percent to CZK 3.8 billion (USD 180 million). Revenue dropped more than CZK 1 billion year-on-year to CZK 16 billion (USD 750 million).

Hard times on the Czech tourist trail

Czech Republic | Well before the onslaught of the covid pandemic, beer was an integral part of the Czech national consciousness. After all, the country had come up with the names of Pilsner and Budweiser beers, regularly topped the international consumption charts, and even had a president write a one-act play about life in a brewery.

It’s the law: No e-commerce for Polish craft brewers

Poland | Craft brewers were caught between a rock and a hard place during the pandemic, when the Polish government put the country under two lockdowns, lasting from March to May 2020 and from October 2020 to May 2021. As hospitality venues were forced to shut, craft brewers could not pivot to e-commerce as they did elsewhere in Europe because of an ancient alcohol law from 1983, which does not mention internet sales (unheard of then). Despite their best lobbying efforts, the government insisted that this omission means e-commerce is illegal and refused to amend the law.

Russians take to non-alcoholic beer

Russia | AB-InBev Efes, the Russia-based unit of AB-InBev, expects double-digit growth in its non-alcoholic beer sales in the next few years, Reuters reported on 16 June 2021.

Beer consumption in Italy drops 11 percent in 2020

Italy | The covid pandemic hit Italy’s economy earlier and more severely than other large eurozone economies. In 2020, Italy’s economy shrank 8.9 percent, the second-largest contraction after Spain, and it still has further to go than Germany and France to recover its pre-pandemic scale.

BrewDog hit by “toxic culture” accusations

United Kingdom | There is trouble brewing at the Scottish punk brewer BrewDog. Some 70 former employees, many of them anonymously under the collective name of Punks with Purpose, posted an open letter on the internet on 9 June 2021. In it they accused the company and its two founders of fostering a personality cult. The signatories allege there was a “toxic attitude” at the company. Some said they had suffered mental illness as a result.

BrewDog and Mikkeller embroiled in the culture wars

Europe | Looks like the US culture wars have spread to Europe, turbocharged by social media. BrewDog became the first target. But Danish craft brewer Mikkeller was not far behind. On the morning of 12 June 2021, an anonymous group put up several posters outside Mikkeller’s Copenhagen headquarters and accused the brewer of sexism and racism via an Instagram account.

Patent on barley and beer upheld

Germany | The European Patent Office (EPO) has rejected a joint appeal filed by NGOs against a patent on barley owned by Carlsberg (EP2373154). This was reported on 8 June 2021. The Board of Appeal will publish its reasons for the judgement at a later stage.

Tax the rich: the Belgian way

Belgium | The AB-InBev connection is spurious at best, but this has not stopped Belgian media to sell a bizarre story about tax planning gone wrong as a love and crime story, involving the late Amicie de Spoelberch, her heirs, a corrupt lawyer and finally the Belgian tax man.

Brewers of Europe Forum: Make beer more sustainable, innovative, diverse and responsible

Belgium | It was a big event by any standards. Though conducted virtually over four days, the Brewers of Europe Forum (1–4 June 2021) attracted an unprecedented number of delegates: nearly 2 500 industry members attended the Forum’s 19 sessions, which covered a wide range of topics, from recycling and recovery to innovative brewing techniques, beer styles, marketing and packaging.

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Heineken ups stake in United Breweries in India

Covid turned off beer taps in Spain: sales declined 12 percent in 2020

Brewers sign new EU Code of Conduct on sustainable food systems

Test-and-trace rules wreak havoc at English pubs and restaurants

Pub chain Fuller’s expects to benefit from weddings

Staff call on Wetherspoon to double bank holiday pay

All that glitters is not gold: BrewDog’s “solid gold” can scandal

Czechs still thirsty for a beer

Hard times on the Czech tourist trail

It’s the law: No e-commerce for Polish craft brewers

Russians take to non-alcoholic beer

Beer consumption in Italy drops 11 percent in 2020

BrewDog hit by “toxic culture” accusations

BrewDog and Mikkeller embroiled in the culture wars

Patent on barley and beer upheld

Tax the rich: the Belgian way

Brewers of Europe Forum: Make beer more sustainable, innovative, diverse and responsible

Duvel Moortgat looks forward to strong sales in second half of 2021

Magners maker C&C is going cap in hand to investors for EUR 151 million

Bidding adieu: on brewing industry CEOs stepping down

Heineken ups stake in United Breweries in India

Covid turned off beer taps in Spain: sales declined 12 percent in 2020

Brewers sign new EU Code of Conduct on sustainable food systems

Test-and-trace rules wreak havoc at English pubs and restaurants

Pub chain Fuller’s expects to benefit from weddings

Staff call on Wetherspoon to double bank holiday pay

All that glitters is not gold: BrewDog’s “solid gold” can scandal

Czechs still thirsty for a beer

Hard times on the Czech tourist trail

It’s the law: No e-commerce for Polish craft brewers

Russians take to non-alcoholic beer

Beer consumption in Italy drops 11 percent in 2020

BrewDog hit by “toxic culture” accusations

BrewDog and Mikkeller embroiled in the culture wars

Patent on barley and beer upheld

Tax the rich: the Belgian way

Brewers of Europe Forum: Make beer more sustainable, innovative, diverse and responsible

Duvel Moortgat looks forward to strong sales in second half of 2021

Magners maker C&C is going cap in hand to investors for EUR 151 million

Bidding adieu: on brewing industry CEOs stepping down

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